Communique # 27

November 2009

Bhutan

www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/bt.htm

www.pacificasiatourism.org

Steve Noakes with Ms Chhimmy Pem, Director of

Marketing, Bhutan Tourism Council, along with

senior industry representatives from Bhutan tour

operators and hotels in the Bhutan capital city,

Thimphu, this month. With the support of the

UNWTO Themis Foundation, the Government of

Bhutan conducted a Tourism Marketing Seminar

where Steve contributed to public & private

sector linkages and sustainable tourism

stewardship issues.

Australia: TOURISM SCORES IN SENATE INQUIRY:

Following a written submission (dated 30 August 2008) by Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd to

the Australian Government (The Senate) Inquiry into the economic and security challenges

facing Papua New Guinea and the island states of the southwest Pacific, in April 2009,

Steve Noakes was called as a witness to the Inquiry. www.aph.gov.au/Senate/Committee/FADT_CTTE/swpacific/

PAT submission: www.aph.gov.au/Senate/Committee/FADT_CTTE/swpacific/submissions/sub31

In November 2009, the Inquiry publicly released its report which includes the following positive

outcomes for sustainable tourism and international development in the Pacific Islands region:

OUTCOME: Recommendation 5 paragraph 8.39

In light of the growing awareness among major donors (EU, US and New Zealand) of the value of using sustainable tourism to assist developing countries alleviate poverty and promote broad-based economic growth, the committee recommends that the

Australian Government incorporate this sector as an identifiable program in its

ODA policy framework for the region. For the full report:

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/swpacific/report/report.pdf

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/swpacific/report/index.htm

For Travel Mole global coverage:

www.travelmole.com/stories/1139610.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=s~bnT_~Av

National Geographic Society, Center for Sustainable Destinations

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd is part of the panel of well-traveled experts in a variety of fields

related to sustainable tourism who surveyed a total of 133 destinations. The survey is the cover

story of the November-December 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. See more

details on the 133 iconic destinations ranked for wisely managed tourism at www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler and

also at: http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/intro-text.

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/.

Pacific Tourism – Climate Adaptation Project.

www.oceaniatourismalliance.net

In conjunction with National Geographic Society’s Center for

Sustainable Destinations, National Geographic Traveler has devoted

its sixth annual “Places Rated” Destination Stewardship survey to the

world’s most celebrated and iconic travel destinations and how well

they have weathered the pressures of mass tourism and other

threats. They were ranked on factors such as pollution, cultural

authenticity & tourism management.

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd is a Founding Partner of the

Oceania Sustainable Tourism Alliance, the network

driving the AusAID funded research project PT-CAP:

Pacific Tourism – Climate Adaptation Project.

http://www.oceaniatourismalliance.net/climate_change_impac

t.htm http://www.businessandlaw.vu.edu.au/ctsr/pt-

cap.asp#4

Tourism Sustainability Council – ‘a work in progress’

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd has been a representative from Oceania and Asia in the overall

process to develop the new Tourism Sustainability Council. Once launched in early 2010, the

TSC will serve as the international body for fostering the increased knowledge and understanding

of sustainable tourism practices, the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles and build

demand for sustainable travel. At the core of the proposed organization is a mission to improve

tourism’s potential to be a driver of positive conservation and economic development for

communities and businesses around the world and a tool for poverty alleviation. TSC has

developed due to the current merger process between the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship

Council (www.stscouncil.org) and the Partnership for the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

(www.SustainableTourismCriteria.org)

Pacific Asia Customer Service Training

http://www.oceaniatourismalliance.net/Documents/Training%20&%20Education%20Suzanne%20N

oakes%2009%20Nov%2008.pdf

Also, see http://www.pacificasiatourism.org/documents/PATCapability.pdf

Wildlife conservation exploration - Indonesia

SIES – Save Indonesian Endangered Species founder, Vet/Conservationist Dr Claire Vaux Oelrichs

will lead a tour early in 2010 to Sumatra and Kalimantan with a strong emphasis on wildlife

conservation. Claire is a founding shareholder of Ecolodges Indonesia. If that is of interest to you,

send email to stevenoakes@ecolodgesindonesia.com for more details.

www.ecolodgesindonesia.com

Suzanne Noakes is one of the region’s

most experienced short course customer

service training specialists. She is typical

of the wealth of experience & talent

within the PAT network to deliver a range

of sustainable tourism education, training

& research projects Photo credit: www.asiatranspacific.com

SIES is now sponsoring 3 hectares for AUD $5,000 each

to grow sugar cane and king grass to prevent starvation

and deprivation of the 65 elephants of Way Kambas

Elephant Conservation Centre, not far from Satwa

Ecolodge in Sumatra. SIES is also sponsoring to grow

food trees in a field at the NP office away from wild

elephant encroachment. If you are interested to

contribute, contact Claire on sies@breakofday.com.au

Baby elephant bath time, Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra.

CDG Melanesia governance study

In a recent CGD report, Aila Matanock of Stanford University investigates why and when states

delegate governance functions to others—and why the other agrees to take on the responsibilities.

A survey of what works in Melanesia points toward potential solutions to promote stability

worldwide.

www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1422780

Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty ltd is an Australian Partner Organisation with the Australian

Youth Ambassadors for Development program (www.ayad.com.au). We are APO for

Sibylla MacDonald who is now well into her 12 month placement with the national

tourism office in Tonga, and Dr Glenn Hornby is coming to the end of his placement in

the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati.

Lao PDR – a remarkable pro-poor tourism project

Over 30 years after the bombing stopped, the , the Lao National Tourism Administration and

development partners are working to ensure the research and conservation needed to protect this

national historic site. www.visit-viengxay.com

Viengxay images, audio clips and fact sheets for download www.scottasia.net/viengxay/

http://mdgasiapacific.org

The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality and to making globalization work for the poor. www.cgdev.org PAT Founder, Steve

Noakes, is a Charter Member

Viengxay Caves Visitor Centre

Resources:

UNESCO and TripAdvisor partnership.

Ecotourism & Protected Areas

Over the long term, the future of national parks and other protected areas depends on their ability

to be financially self-sustaining. Funds are needed for the management of conservation lands and

waters as well as for ensuring the health and well-being of nearby populations. The Conservancy

helps partners design and implement a range of financial mechanisms that support on-site

management of protected areas and provide incentives for landscape and national level

conservation. www.nature.org/aboutus/travel/ecotourism/about/art14824.html

The Global Gender Gap (MDG3)

Iceland (1) has claimed the top spot of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index

2009 from Norway (3) which slipped to third position behind Finland (2). Sweden (4) completed

the Nordic countries’ continued dominance of the top four. The Philippines (9) lost ground for the

first time in four years but remains the leading Asian country in the rankings.

Sustainability Association of Hawaii

The purpose of the Sustainability

Association of Hawaii (SAH) is to help businesses and families make wise use of resources. They

illustrate some useful steps to sustainability for communities and individuals. www.sahawaii.org

This excellent report’s Index assesses countries on how well they

are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male

and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these

resources and opportunities. Out of the 115 countries covered in

the report since 2006, more than two-thirds have posted gains in

overall index scores, indicating that the world in general has made

progress towards equality between men and women, although

there are countries that continue to lose ground.

www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/report2009.pdf

TripAdvisor has pledged to support UNESCO in protecting the places

around the world that matter. It wants to engage its 25 million

monthly visitors to act on behalf of World Heritage.

www.tripadvisor.com/WorldHeritage-LearnMore

More about the Conservancy's ecotourism strategy:

Generating income from tourism for conservation

Reducing threats to wildlife and natural communities

Supporting community-based ecotourism

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines

Leaders of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines (BIMP) have agreed to

start carrying out 12 priority infrastructure projects over the next two years under the BIMP East

ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) subregional cooperation program. Transport and power

interconnection projects that will help boost trade, investment and tourism in the subregion have

been identified, according to a joint statement from the leaders of the four countries. The total

cost of the projects is about $1 billion.

Established in 1994, the BIMP-EAGA program is committed to a broad range of initiatives to

increase connectivity, boost economic growth and reduce poverty in the subregion. BIMP-EAGA

countries are pursuing a road map consisting of projects to improve transport connectivity, power

interconnection, tourism promotion, and trade facilitation. The program has a long-term goal of

making the subregion the major food producer for Asia, as well as being a premier ecotourism

destination.

BIMP-EAGA consists of

• Brunei Darussalam

• Central Kalimantan

• North Sulawesi

• South Sulawesi

• Maluku

• Sabah and Sarawak states and the

Federal Territory of Labuan in

Malaysia

• East and West Kalimantan

• South Kalimantan

• Central Sulawesi

• Southeast Sulawesi

• Irian Jaya in Indonesia

• Island of Mindanao and Palawan

Province in the Philippines

www.bimp-eaga.org, www.adb.org/BIMP/

UNWTO Climate Change & Tourism

Tackling Climate Change is a global priority and a major challenge. Tourism - one of the world’s largest economic activities and a key service sector export and employment driver, particularly in developing countries - is directly and increasingly affected by Climate Change. Like other sectors, tourism also contributes to Climate Change. The ClimateSolutions.travel initiative has been

developed with Microsoft as part of the UNWTO & Microsoft Public Private Partnership within the framework of UNWTO’s eTourism for Development Programme of Work and the new Affiliate Public Private Partnership strategy. www.unwto.org/climate/index.php?op=0

Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance

http://www.climate-standards.org/

The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance

(CCBA) is a partnership between leading companies,

NGOs and research institutes seeking to promote

integrated solutions to land management around the

world. With this goal in mind, the CCBA has developed

voluntary standards to help design and identify land

management activities that simultaneously minimize

climate change, support sustainable development and

conserve biodiversity.

WWF & Climate Change

Climate change has been a priority for WWF for over 20 years as climate disruption poses a

fundamental threat to the vulnerable places, species and people WWF seeks to

protect. www.worldwildlife.org/climate/index.html?linklocation=footersitemap

Conservation International & Climate Change

Conservation International is working locally, regionally and globally to secure protection of the

Earth’s natural ecosystems and its inherent capacity for resilience and adaptation, and to provide

immediate, sustainable climate change solutions and greater adaptive potential for humanity and

all life on Earth. Protecting the Earth’s natural ecosystems, ecological processes and biodiversity is

essential to addressing the climate crisis. Conserving terrestrial and marine ecosystems produces

myriad additional benefits beyond climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, including

provision of freshwater and other critical inputs to agricultural production; mitigating risk from

natural disasters; sustaining local economies and cultural heritage; and protecting biodiversity.

www.conservation.org/learn/climate/Pages/overview.aspx

Online Green Community

Connect2earth is your green online community, where you can tell the world why you care about

the environment and why it should be protected. Worth a look.

UNWTO: New web site for Themis.

The UNWTO.Themis Foundation is the operative arm of UNWTO’s Education and Training Department. It implements the Department’s programme of work, with the common objective of supporting Member States in the formulation and implementation of educational policies, plans and instruments which effectively contribute to an improvement in the quality, competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism sector through excellence in education and training. http://www.unwto-themis.org/en/

Commitment to Development Index

Connect2earth was started in 2008 by 2 of the largest and most

influential environmental organizations in the world, WWF and

IUCN, with support from Nokia.

Rich and poor countries are linked in many ways by foreign

aid, commerce, migration, the environment, and military

affairs. The Commitment to Development Index (CDI) rates

22 rich countries on how much they help poor countries build

prosperity, good government, and security. Sweden ranks

first in the annual assessment of wealthy countries' policies

that boost prosperity in the developing world.

www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_active/cdi/

CGD Society members share a commitment to a better future for people in the developing world. They are dedicated to global policy

changes that will bring more opportunities to poor people to improve their lives.

IUCN Resources

Oceania: http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/oceania/

For some good IUCN publications on tourism, go to:

http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/wcpa/wcpa_puball/wcpa_pubsubject/wcpa_tourismpub/

Examples:

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

This site will ignite your curiosity about the

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, creating learning legacies in colleges and

universities before, during, and after the 2010 (and 2012) Games http://elegacies.ca/2010

Tourism and

Protected Areas :

Benefits Beyond

Boundaries Edited

by R Bushell, UWS,

Australia; P F J

Eagles, University of

Waterloo, Ontario,

Canada

Guidelines for Tourism

in Parks & Protected

Areas of East Asia

http://www.ahs.uwate

rloo.ca/~eagles/EastAs

ia.pdf

In Asia, IUCN works in Bangladesh, China, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri

Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam & India. From time-to-time, projects also

involve other Asian countries.

www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/

Sustainable tourism in protected areas : guidelines for planning and management. Eagles, Paul F.J. ; McCool, Stephen F. ; Haynes, Christopher D. Best Practice Guidelines

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd links

VANUATU

www.marineprotectedarea.com.vu

THAILAND

www.save-travel.org

The SAVE Alliance is non-profit “network of networks” that facilitates linkages between potential or developing tourism destinations and attractions, and the appropriate SAVE markets.

In 2003, a group of students from The George Washington University travelled to Honduras to conduct field studies as a component of an experiential consulting class designed to present the Honduras Institute of Tourism with a tourism strategy to increase visitation to the North Coast. The students conceived and presented the SAVE concept of tourism, a strategy that integrates the market demand and untapped supply of four specific niche markets: Scientific, Academic, Volunteer, and Education. The key to the strategy is geotourism, a philosophy that works to sustain and enhance, rather than hinder the local destination.

www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/about_geotourism.html

PAT is a member of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and supports industry take-up of Aussie Host

Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd in association with the START Regional

centre at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and Prince of Songkla University, southern Thailand, continues to support the South Andaman Sustainable Tourism Network. www.SACSTN.org

THE-ICE is a specialised international accreditation body focusing on quality assurance for tourism, hospitality and events (TH&E) programmes offered in either the higher

education and/or vocational education sectors. www.the-ice.org

Travel Mole

Sustainable Travel International

University linkages are maintained with leading researchers who can contribute

new knowledge and professional inputs to international projects:

� PAT is member of the Travel Mole Special Advisors Group. TravelMole is the largest global online community for the Travel and Tourism Industry with over 450,000 registered newswire. www.travelmole.com

� PAT is member of the Advisory Board of Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a USA 501(c)(3) non-profit organization,

dedicated to providing education and outreach services that help travelers, travel providers and related organizations support environmental conservation and protect cultural heritage while promoting cross-cultural understanding and economic development. www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/au_advisory.html

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok